Method and apparatus for making ozone.



W. T. HOOFNAGLE.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING OZONE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23.1915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

' OFFICE.

I WILLIAM T. HOOFNAGLE, 0F GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRO-CHEMICAL PRODUCTS COlVIBANYa-OF' 'NEWrYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

Specification ofILe tters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed April 23, 1915. Serial No. 23,342.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. HOOFNA- GLE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Glen Ridge, in the county ofEssex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Methods and Apparatus for Making Ozone, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing ozone.

In treating air electrically, either for the production of ozone, or forthe recovery of nitrogen from the air, I have found it very advantageousto treat the air in a rarefied condition, as the chemical effect is muchgreater at low air pressure than at atmospheric pressure, and also, abetter electrical field is produced, with less energy, in a partialvacuum than at atmospheric pressure. The advantages of this method oftreatment are set forth in patents previously granted to me. Forrecovering nitrogen from the air, it is of advantage to treat therarefied air in a quiescent state; but I have found that with a similarair treating apparatus, if means is provided for causing rapid vibrationor surging of the air within the reaction chamber, ozone is produced ata very rapid rate.

The present invention comprises means for drawing air, in arar'efiedstate, through a reaction chamber, wherein it is electricallytreated, and means for causing rapid vibration or surging of the airunder treatment to facilitate the production of ozone.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is'a side elevation of anapparatus, illustrating the invention, the reaction chamber being shownin vertical section; Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the reactionchamber; and, Fig. 3 is a detail view of the valve for causing vibrationof the air. 4

Referring to the drawing, A indicates a reaction chamber, moreparticularly described in my co-pending application Serial No. 23,341,filed April 23, 1915, and comprising an outer cylindrical *metal shell1, having therein a central core 2 of insulating material, the lattersuspended from a cover plate 3, of like material. Within the shell 1,and electrically connected to it, is a cylindrical electrode 4, andsurrounding the core 2 are glass tubes 5,,arranged in circular seriesand containing a conducting liquid which forms the inner electrode. .The

conducting liquid in the tubes is connected by conductors 6 to a metalcap plate 7, which rests upon a collar 3 of insulating material,projecting from the cover 3. The secondary coil :6 of a transformer thas its ends connected to the cap plate 7, and the shell 1, byconductors 8 and 9, respectively, and it will be evident that when analternating current is flowing through the primary coil 25 of thetransformer, a high tension current from the secondary coil will flowthrough the space in the reaction chamber intervening between theelectrode on the shell and the electrode on the core; An air pipe 10leads into the lower end of the reaction chamber, and the end 10 of saidpipe has an opening, restricted by an adjustable valve 11, through whichair may enter the pipe and pass into the reaction chamber. A dial 12 isarranged adjacent the valve and is graduated to indicate the flow ofair, in cubic feet, into the apparatus, a pointer 13, movable with thevalve stem, being provided for cooperation with the dial. Arranged inthe intake pipe 10 is a rotatable valve 14, driven by a suitable motor15. This valve may be a butterfly valve, as shown in Fig. 3. An exhaustpump 16 is connected by a pipe 17 to the upper end of the reactionchamber, and an outlet pipe 18 leads from the pump to the oint where theozone is to be utilized. As shown for the purpose of illustration, avalve 19 is arranged in this pipe so that the ozonized products may beled through the pipe to a room, where, for instance, it may be desiredto purify the air, and if this valve be closed and a valve 20 in abranch pipe 21 be opened, the ozone may be led into a vessel, indicatedat 22, for the purpose of sterilizing water. This vessel, in thedrawing, is shown with an inlet pipe 23 and an outlet pipe 24, for thewater, and another outlet pipe 25 for the gases may pass through thewater.

In operation, the pump continuously draws air through the reactionchamber, the degree of rarefaction being controlled by the adjustablevalve 11, which restricts the intake opening in the pipe. The current issupplied through the transformer t, and the rapid rotation of'the valve14 by the motor 15 causes a checking and release of the an which resultsin rapid oscillation or surging of the air as it flows through theelectrical field in the reaction chamber, the cffeet being the formationof ozone which is carried out by the pump to the point of use.

What I claim is:

1. The method of making ozone which comprises drawing air through areaction chamber, rapidly checking and releasing the flow to causesurging of the air while passing through the chamber, and passing anelectric current through the air therein.

2. The method of making ozone which comprises passing air through areaction chamber, causing rapid expansion and compression of the airwhile passing through the chamber, and passing an electric currentthrough the air therein.

3. The method of making ozone which comprises drawing air in a rarefiedstate through a reaction chamber, rapidly checking and releasing theflow to cause surging of the air while passing through the chamber, andpassing an electric current through the air therein.

4. In an apparatus for making ozone, a reaction chamber having inlet andoutlet openings, means for passing a current of air through saidchamber, means for rapidly checking and releasing the flow to causesurging of the air within the chamber and 1 means for passing anelectric current through the air in the chamber.

5. In an apparatus for making ozone, a

reaction chamber having inlet and outlet pipes, means for passing acurrent of air through said chamber and pipes, means in one of saidpipes for causing surgingof the air, and means for passing an electriccurrent through the air in the chamber.

6. In an apparatus for making ozone, a reaction chamber having inlet andoutlet openings, means for drawing air through the chamber, means forrapidly checking and releasing the air current to cause surging of theair in the chamber, and means for passing an electric current throughthe air in the chamber.

7. In an apparatus for making ozone, a reaction chamber having an intakepipe, means for drawing air through said pipe and chamber, a valve insaid pipe, means for rotating said valve, and means for passing anelectric current through the airin the chamber.

8. In an apparatus for making ozone, a reaction chamberh'aving an intakepipe, means for drawing air through said pipe and chamber, means forrestricting the flow of air through said pine, a valve in said pipe,means for rotating said valve, and means for passing an electric currentthrough the air in the chamber.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

WILLIAM T. HOOFNAGLE.

